Knot tying



Jul 26, 1932. E. J. ABBOT 1,868,682

KNOT TYING 7 Filed Aug. 16, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l @WM N 7Z6 we? regs? E. J. ABBOT July 26, 1932,

KNOT TYING Filed Aug. 16, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 26, 1932 FATE EDWARD J. ABBOTT, or ILT NEW HAMrsnInnassIGNon o ABBOTT MAo iNE COMPANY, or WILTON, NEW namrsrrmn, A ooRroRATroN or NEW HAMPSHIRE KNOT TYING" Application filed August 16, 193i). Serial No. 475,665

This invention relates toknot tying and has for its principal object to provide an. im-

-proved art or method of, and devices for;

forming knots having relatively long-tails.

. Another obj ect of'the invention is to provide a knot tying device capable of ready interchangeability to produce either long or shorttailed knots. V

The present invention, although capable of application to knot tying devices, actuated either by hand or by automatic mechanism, will for the purposesof explanation be illustrated and-described as embodied in a hand operated knot tying implement of the general type disclosed in United States Patents 672,635, 672,636 and 755,110. Devices exemplifying the present invention may be used for example in tying two strandsor filaments together intermediate the ends of the strands and severing the surplus material while yet providing the formed knot with tails sufficiently long to be readily detected later. As applied to weaving for example, the formation of such long-tailed knots permits the weaver to find the knots in woven fabric so that he may pull them all out to one side of the fabric, whereas short-tailed knots previously employed are diflicult or almost impossible to locate and hence often necessitate finishing both sides of thefabric.

Other objects of invention, advantage and structural improvements will be apparent guide shown in Figs. 1 and 2, showing the" general construction of this guide and the manner in which it is mounted upon the cam cylinder;

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the loopholding fingerand of the arm-Which carries thesame;

Fig. 7 includes a plan and a front elevation showing the position of the tying-bill and of the guides just previous to the beginning of the operations which result in the formation of the knot; p I

Fig. 8 is similar to Fig. 7, but shows the relative arrangement of the partsafter the tying-billhas been: rotated in a counterclocln wise dir'e'ctionfor approximately one-third ofarevolution;

Fig. 9 is similar to Figs .7 and 8 andshows the relative arrangement of the parts after the tying-bill has advanced another 90 from the position in which itis shown in Fig. 8';

Fig. 10- is similarto Figs. 7 8 and9 and shows the relation of the parts after the tying-bill has advanced approximately 90 I from the position shown in Fig. 9;

-'Fig.1;1 is a plan showing'the relative arrangement after the tying-bill has advanced FK i i approximately 90? from the position shown in Fig. 10; and 1 Fig. 12is a view'similar'to Fig. 11 showing the position of the tying-bill after the knot.

has been formed and the loop-holding finger removed, sothat the knot is ready to be pulled The instrument shown in Figs. land Zoom-' prises knot forming and tying mechanism, indicated generally at 10, mounted upon a frame 11 which is provided nith asupport- 1 ing handle 12 and an operating lever 13; A

supporting handle 12, for the device may conveniently be provided with a strap 14 adapted to be buckled'about'the hand of an operator.

The operating lever'13; preferably arranged-- for convenient engagement by the thumb of the hand 'whichcarrles the lnstrument, serves to operate a sector cam gear 16,,mounted to pivot, about the gearing 17" carried bythe frame; so that the downward movement of the leverl13 will move the sector cam gear 16 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 or-tothe right as'viewed'in Fig.2. Such downward movement of the lever 18, operates through the sector cam gear 16 and a coopcrating gear 31 (Fig.2) to rotatea shaft 30 and thereby actuate knot formingv and strand-severing devices which are her in shown as embodied in a tying-bill 32, of conventional form and including a clamping and shearing plate 3% pivotally mounted within the tying-bill. The shaft for the tying-bi l extends through a cam cylinder 33 in eccentric position with respect to this cylinder, that the clamping and shearing plate 3%, which is pivotally mounted within the tyingbill and has operative engagement with an interior cam surface of the cam cylinder 33, may operate in the manner well unde stood in the art to perform its function of clamping the strands and severing the strands closely adjacent to the clamped port-ion, later relea. ing the severed ends or" the strands after the knot has been pulled tight.

Movement of the sector cam gear 16 by lever 13 also serves to actuate strand-clamping and tightening devices herein shown as comprising a guide arm 24 with a hookshaped strand-engaging port on 23 at its forward end, arm Q-zl being pivotally mounted at 19 by means oi a transversely extending arm 24 (Fig. 2), and cooperating clamping tingers or plates 22 which loosely embrace opposite s des of the guide arm 24 and are carried by a reciprocating and oscillating arm 21 shown most clearly in Fig. 1. To eiiect such actuation, a crank having offset arms 18 and 18 (Fig. 2) is preferably pivotally mounted at 19 and is provided with a depending cam follower p n 18 engaging the sector cam gear 16, and' a depending pin 18 upon which the arm 21 is pivotally mounted. This arrangement of parts causes oscillation of the sector cam gear 16 to advance arm 21 to the right from the position of Flf". 1 so that the plates or fingers 22 securely clamp strands which lie within the hook-shaped end 23 of guide arm Q l. This movement is efiected by movement of the sector cam gear 16 to about its halfway point 01 oscillating movement, that is to about the point of maximum throw of its cam surfaces. At such point a spring pressed latch 26 carried by guide arm 24 engages with a pin 27 carried by the arm l8 so that subsequent return movement of arm 18 by the sector cam gear will swing arms 2% and 24 in a counterclockwise direction (as viewed n 2) about pivot point 19. Since the clamping plates orfingers 22 embrace arm 24-, these parts and the arm 21 will accompany arm in its counterclockwise movement, the effect of such movement being to pull. the strands which have previously been clamped as described above. Upon movement of the crank arm l8 almost to the end of its stroke a pin 26 depending from the latch 26 engages a lixed pin 26 to trip the latch, whereupon a coil spring 28 which bears against both of arms 18 and 241: separates these arms and thereby returns the guide arm 2st and the clamping fingers or plates 22 to their initial positions of Figs. 1 and 2.

The apparatus thus far explained, and w iich is more explicitly described in United States patents numbered 672,635, 672,636 and 755,110 is when taken alone, an example of numerous types of devices suitable for forming knots having very short tails. The unavoidable shortness ot the tails will readily be understood from a consideration of the close physical relation of the shearing plate to a loop of strands which. would ordinarily form tightl Y about the tying-bill.

My invention, however, provides a nove mode of operation wherein strand handling instrumentalities are enabled to provide a formed knot at such distance from the strands-evering means as to produce a knot having long tails. To this end, means are provided for preventing the tightening of the formed loop closely about the tying-bill or analogous knot-forming and strand-severing devices, and for determining the point of tightening of the knot at a distance from the strandsevering device, the loop formed by the bill is prevented from diminishing to the relatively small size of the bill by tightening action until after leaving the bill. T he loop is therefore 0t larger size than the usual bill alone could form, and the increased size of the loop is utilized to form knot tails materially longer than would result from merely stripping from the bill. a loop formed and tightened closely thereon. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, structure for performing this function comprises by way of e ample a loop holding linger 36 carried by the forward end of an arm 37 which preferably, as in the present device, receives its operating movement from the previously described arm 21 by being pivotally mounted thereon by a screw 87 as shown in Fig. 1. Preferably the arm 37 is aiiirzed to a block 38 which slotted at 39 (Fig. (l) to lit over the arm 21, and has a transverse hole 4-1 adapted to receive the pivot screw 37.

The forward end of the arm 37 is curved inwardly toward the tying-hill, and the fin gcr 36 extends upwardly from this arm in close proximity with the shank of the tying-bill, so that when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 7 the inwardly curved portion of the arm 37, together with the linger 36, will serve to retain the strands in engagement with the linger during counterclockwise movement of the tying-bill. Cooperating with the movable guide the finger 3G and the tying-bill, and to hold the strands in the proper position with respect to these par s. I pre 1 to provide a stationary guide 4-2 (Fig. mountec upon the cam cylinder 33 in the usual manner, but having a hooked end 13 which extends back to a point in rear oi ts position occupied by the loop-holding ling so that to position the strands in thi hook the operator must lay the strands in rear of the upstanding linger 36 as well. as

in rear of the tying-bill. The upper surface of the hook 43 preferably'is higherthan the upper end of the finger 3.6 to=avoidthe pos: sibility of the strands catching uponwthis' finger during the passage of-strands-"rean wardly over hook43'in threading the device. For the purpose ofnpreventing premature pivotal movement of the arm 37 andfinger 36, during the forward movementof the arm 21 without interfering with lateral or oscil latory movement which is laterimparted to arm 37, a stud 46 is preferably provided upon the frame 11 in position'to support the arm' 37 during its forward movement. The arm 37. is further restrained from downward movement about the screw 37 by a spring .47 (Fig. 1)' coiled about the shank of the screw 37 with one end. passing through a vertical hole 48 in the arm21 and turned under the lower side of this arm, and 'witlrt-he other end secured in a recess 49 in theblock 38, (Fig. 6), the spring thus being; capable of returning arm 37 toits original'horizontal level after displacement therefrom. V a

The functions of the finger 36-ofarm 37 and its operative relation to the'knot-fornr ing and strand-severing devices and j the strand-clamping and tightening devices will be explained with particular ireferencfe to Figs. 7 to 12. Attention is directed to the showing in each of thesefigures; of a pair of strands to be knotted, the two'strands being distinguished by being shown as white and black respectively.

In Fig. 7 the two strands, having been suit ably guided by the guides 43 and 24 andbe fore actuationof the device, are in a position overlying the shank of the trying bill and "intersecting the path of rotation subsequently to be swept by the end of the bill. Theinitial relation of the finger 36 tothe strands and tying-bill is such that strands engaged by the bill and carried by the movement of the bill will thereby be looped aroundt-he finger 36, the finger thus being included within the loop. -A preferable initial location. of the finger 36 is shown-as defining a projecting angle in the strands between'the two guides 42 and 23 closely adjacent to the shankof the bill and slightly in rear thereof, as shown in Fig. 7. Actuation of thedevice as awhole to rotate the tying-bill vthrough about onethird of a revolution to the position of. F .8 serves to draw the strands about the finger 36 and'beak of the tying-bill. The concomitant advance of the arm 21 and clamping fingers 22 has at this point very nearly gripped the strands against the guide hook23. It will be noted that the finger .36 has moved for ward to about the vertical plane'sweptby the extreme tips of the tying-bill. i I a In Fig. 9 the tying-bill has moved approximately 90 in a counterclockwise direction from the position shown in-Fig. 8. Rotation of-the bill has slipped the strands from the beak portion of the tying-bill down around the throat to complete the formation 'ofthe about the;loop' -holding finger 36 and the shank of the "tying-bill 32. Duringthis loop which; it willbefobserved is formed receive the strands between this jaw and the} tying-bill. 32. The loop-holding finger 36 has alsomoved fartherforwardto a position more remote from thetying-bill in order to take up suflicient length of strand to form the long tails ofthekno't. *In this and subseprevents the formation of a close loop comquent positions it will be noted that finger 36 .59

pletely: around the shank of the tying-billi Fingers 22 in this position of Fig. 9*have I have movedforward a sufficient distancelto clamp the strands against theguide 23. i

InFig. 10 the tying-bill has continued its rotation for approximately fromthe poe sition shown in Fig. 9, and the internal cam in the cam cylinder 33 has actuated the shearing and clamping jaw 34 partially to close the same against the tying-bill, in which position this jaw isaboutready to shear the strands and to clamp the sheared endsthereof against the tying-bill. The loop-holding finger 36 has moved forward slightly to :a

somewhat greater distance'from the tying bill thus increasing'the length of strands taken up between finger 36 and the bill. These positions correspond approximately-in pointsof time with the attainment of-maxi-s mum throw of'the sectorcam 16, so that subsequent actuation of the device results inlin terengagement of the latch 26 andpin 27 to bring about outward swinging of the guide arm 24 together with the arm 21. Suchmove- 1 ment carries the-finger 36 to the left to the position of Fig. 11 concomitantly with the actuation of-the shearing. and clamping jaw 34' to cut the strands and grip the ends of the partscarrying the formed loop. .In Fig. 11, I the tying-bill is shown in the act of throwing off the loop by pulling the severed ends through the loop to form a knot about finger 36. Outwardswinging of arm 24 and further rotation of thetying-bill serve to tighten the formed knot; I I j I In Fig. 12 the tying-bill has continued its counterclockwise rotation for approximately another'90 from'the position shown in Fig.

11 and continues to hold the severed ends of L thestrands for pulling the knot tight. In Fig. 12 the movable guide arm has continued its outward movement, while the loop-hold.

ing finger has been swung downwardly about its pivot 37 a by virtue of'the engagement of a pin 51 (Figs. 1 and movable with arm 37.

with a cam 52 which is fast to the frame'and 3 having a suitable curved surface 53.

pressing arm 37 is preferablyfprovidedwith a lateral extension 56 which may conveniently be fastened to the device by a screw 57. It will be understood, therefore, that a slight continued movement of the guide 211i clamping fingers 22 and tying-bill 32 will pull the knot tight while the arm 37 and finger 36 are held out of the way, after which the internal cam within the cam cylinder 83 will actuate the shearing and clamping jaw 34 to release the tails of the (not. The configuration of the cam 52 is such that after the knot is pulled tight the pin 51 (Fig. 6) will fall into a cut away portion 54 ot the cam so that the spring L7 (F l) is enabled to return the finger 36 to its initial horizontal level. Movement to this point brin the pin 26. associated with the latch 26, (Fig. 2) into engagement with the pin 26 which trips the latch so as to r lease the movable guide arm 24 from the arm 18 and permit the coil spring 28 to move the guide arm 2% and clamping lingers 22 back to the position of Figs. 1 and 2.

Obviously, by removing arm 37. with its finger 36, the device described may be caused to function to tie knots with the usual short tails.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for tying a knot in strands comprising a tying-bill provided with loopforming and strand-severing means, said bill acting to form a loop of the two strands to be knotted and to conduct severed ends of the two strands through the loop to form a knot, and means for enlarging the loop formed by said bill, said last named means acting to determine the point of knot completion at such a distance from the point of operation of the strand-forming means of the bill as to provide the knot with materially longer tails than would result from merely stripping from such a bill a loop formed and tightened closely thereon.

2. Method of tying a knot which comprises forming a loop of the strands to be tied. pulling out the loop to enlarge the loop, severing the strands and pulling the ends of the looped strand through the loop, and tightening the formed loop at a point removed from the cut ends to produce a knot having long tails.

3. A device for knotting strands comprising loop forming means including an element about which two strands to be knotted are first looped. means for severing and clamping the looped strands, strand tightening means acting to remove the loop from said element while converting the loop into a knot, and means engageable within said loop, while the loop is thus being removed from said element for determining the point of tightening of the formed knot at such a distance from the point of severance of the strands as to provide the knot with long tails.

i. A device for knotting strands comprising a rotatable tying-bill eilective to form a loop of the strands, clamp the strands and sever them and throw oil the loop over the severed ends to form a knot, means for receiving the forming knot, and means for pulling the strands to tighten the knot about the knotreceiving means.

5. A device for knotting strands comprising loop forming and strand-severing and clamping devices acting together to form a knot comprised of a loop of two strands capable of being pulled into a tight knot, means for pulling the said loop of strands oil the loop-forming device and for tighten.- ing the formed knot and means for enlarging said loop during its formation thereby to determine the point of tightening of the formed knot at such a distance from the point of severance of the strands as to provide the knot with long tails.

6. A device for knotting strands comprising a rotatable tying-bill for forming a knot and means cooperating therewith for intercepting the strands as they are looped about the tying-bill. thus to maintain the loop open, and for determining the point of tightening of the knot when the formed knot is thrown off the hill.

7. A device for knotting strands comprising means for forming a loop, means for holding the strands at an end of the loop, means for pulling the strands in a direction to pull the loop off the loop-forming means and over the held portions of the strands to form a knot and subsequently to tighten the formed knot, and means engageable with the strands within the formed knot during tightening, thereby to determine the point of tightening with respect to the point at which the strands are held.

8. In a device for tying strands the combination of a rotatable tying-bill and means for determining the point of knot formation comprising a strand engaging member disposed in position to be included within a loop of strands formed by rotation of the bill and to retain the knot formed by casting off the said loop by the bill.

9. A device of the class described comprising means for forming a loop composed of two strands to be knotted, means for clamping and severing the looped strands, and means for pulling the said loop over the severed and clamped ends of the strands to convert the loop into a knot, means for taking up sufiicient length of strands within the thus formed loop to provide for tightening the knot subsequently formed at a suflicient distance from the point of operation of the strand-severing means to furnish relatively long tails on the knot, and means for drawing the knot tight. 7 V 10. A device of the class described comprising means for forming a loop composed of two strands to be knotted, means forenlarging the said loop during the formation thereof, means for holding an end of the loop, means for sliding the loop over the holding means to complete theformation of the knot, and means for drawing the knot tight at a point spaced sutliciently from the'said holding means to provide relatively long tails on the knot.

11. In a knot tying device having a rotatable tying-bill adapted to engage strands to form a loop about the bill and'to clamp and sever the strands, the combination of a mov-.

able loop-retaining finger disposed in posi-- tion to lie within the loop formed by the bill and means for moving the finger away from the bill to complete the formation of the knot at a point spaced a suificient distan'cefrom the bill'to provide relatively long tails 011 the completed knot.

12. In a knot tying device having a rotat able tying-bill adapted to engagestrands to form aloop about the bill, and to clamp and sever the strands, the combination of a finger disposed adjacent to the tying-bill and in position to lie within the loop formed by the tying-bill, and means for moving the fi'nger away from the tying-bill during rotation of the latter for carrying'the formed knot away from the tying bill to provide relatively long tails on the knot. V

13. A device of the classdescribed comprising fixed and movable guides,a rotatable tying-bill disposed between the guides for forming a loop of strands and for holding and cutting the strands while permitting the formed loop to slide oil" the bill to form a knot, clamping means cooperating with themovable guide for pulling the knot tight as it slides ofi" the bill, a finger disposed adjacent the bill and in position to be included within the loop formed by the bill, and means for moving the finger away from the bill during the rotation of the bill-to increase the size of the loop and to hold the loop as it slides off the bill and while the thread is being pulled tight, and means for withdrawing the finger after the knot is formed but before it is pulled tight.

14. A device of the class described comprising a movable strand guide, a rotatable'tying bill for forming a loop, cutting the strands and holding the ends of the strands while allowing the loop to slideoif the bill;

to form a knot, clamping means movable across the movable guide for clampingthe strands and movable with; its associated guide to pull the strands thereby totighten the knot, a finger disposed adjacent thebill in position to lie within the loop during the formation thereof. said finger being movable for the purpose otcausing the device to' produce knots having long instead of short tails, the attachment comprising a loop-engaging with the clamping means andaway from the bill to enlarge .the loop and to retai the lat} ter asit slides olf'fth'e bill to'form'the knot, and means forwith'drawing the -finge'r from theloopfbefore the "knot is completely tightened. 1

prising a movable strand guide, ja rotatable tying-bill for, forming a loop, cuttingv the 16. An attachment for a knottying device of thetype having knot-forming and-knottighteninginstrumentalities wherein the knot-tightening instrumentality moves away from p the knot-forming instrumentality to tighten a formedlmot, the attachment being finger adapted to liein a position to be i11 eluded within a loop of the knot duringformation of the loop and means for connecting said'finger to a part'of' the knot-tightenihg f 1 1 instrumentality in such a way that the finger moves in synchronism with the knottightening instrumentality away from the knotforming mstrum-entality so as to enlarge the said loop and to determine the point of tight enmg of theknot at a distance forming instrumentality;

therein incombination, a rotary loop formiii" from theknot- 17. A device for knotting strands having.

r 1a mg and castmg-olf tying bill which includes strand clamping and shearing instrumentalities, and-- means for'preventing the loop formed by the bill from diminishing to the size of thebill, by tightening, until after the loop hasleft the bill.

'strandclamping and shearing instrumentali- V 18. A device for knotting strands having 7 therein in combination, a rotary loop formlgo ties, and means for causing a knot formed by said bill to havelong tails, said means including a member positioned, adjacent the bill, to

be included within the loop formed by said bill, so as to cause said loop to comprise a greater length of strand material than would bewrapped aroundthebill alone by its rota-r 'tion. i i V i 19. A device for knotting strands comprisv 3.51 7

ing a rotatabletying-bill 'efiective to form a upsv I loop of the strands, clamp the strandsvand sever them and throw off the loop over the severed ends to form a knot, means for receiving the forming knot, means for pulling the strands to tighten the knot about the knotreceiving means, and means for removing the said knot-receiving means from the forming knot before the knot is tightened.

20. A device for knotting strands comprising a rotatable tying-bill for forming a knot and means cooperating therewith for intercepting the strands as they are looped about the tying-bill, thus to maintain the loop open, and means for positioning said intercepting means in relation to the tyingbill for determining the point of tightening of the knot when the formed knot is thrown off the bill.

Signed by me at Milford, N. H., this 8th day of August, 1930.

EDWVARD J. ABBOTT. 

